Lü Bu
Lu Bu is a general of the late Han Dynasty who is infamous for his many betrayals in the central plains. Romance of the Three Kingdoms famously dubs him to be the mightiest warrior of his time. Like many warlords of the era, he attempted to establish himself as an independent power before he met his end against Cao Cao's forces. His trademarks in the Dynasty Warriors series are his high stats, his vastly superior moveset, his unique horse, and his theme song which doubles as the musical motif for several of the games' opening sequences. The exclamation "Do not pursue Lu Bu!" is fondly remembered by fans. He sometimes shares the spotlight with the series's other iconic character, Zhao Yun. His character for this series is 29 years old and his height is 208 cm (close to 6'10"). Lu Bu reached twenty-first place with fans in Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll. His Dynasty Warriors counterpart also has a character image song titled KING OF DESTROYER; it's a vocal version of his trademark theme throughout the series. Role in GamesEdit :"A legend of your age, and yet you side with the devil. I suppose you thought that feeding off his scraps would provide you sufficient prey!" :"And I was right. He has led me to the greatest prey of all! Hunting time!" ::―''Tadakatsu Honda and Lu Bu; Warriors Orochi'' Dynasty WarriorsEdit Lu Bu is a warrior who wants to prove his strength to all. First serving his adopted father, Dong Zhuo, he defies the Allied Forces at Hu Lao and Si Shui Gates. Known for his ferocity in the former battle, Yuan Shao warns his officers to steer clear of him in every game. In most titles, he has a special duel with Liu Bei and his brothers during the conflict. Not one to trust Dong Zhuo, he often gives into Diao Chan's deception and rebels against his former master in their story modes. In other characters' scenarios, he wanders the land after his benefactor's death and steals Xia Pi away from Liu Bei. Facing Cao Cao and Liu Bei's armies at the castle, Lu Bu dies after his defeat. His story in Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends has him start as an obedient subject to Dong Zhuo. Lu Bu doesn't care for the portly one's ambitions and only desires to fight. After their victory at Hu Lao Gate, Dong Zhuo's influence grows and he has a portion of the alliance submit to him. Lu Bu continues to aid Dong Zhuo by killing Cao Cao at Guan Du and rescuing his lord from Liu Bei at Wan Castle. While Liu Bei's army tries to flee from capture, his forces are stopped by Lu Bu at Chang Ban. Upset at the turn of events and seeing no reason for them to continue fighting, Diao Chan and Zhang Liao desert Dong Zhuo. Lu Bu, who wants them to help him, retrieves their loyalty after he catches them at the Five Passes. The trio work together to rebel against Dong Zhuo, putting an end to the tyrant at Chi Bi and making Lu Bu the land's new leader. Lu Bu only serves Dong Zhuo until they defeat the Allied Forces in Dynasty Warriors 4. Soon after their victory over Yuan Shao, he slays his former liege. He is labeled a threat to the rest of the regional lords and survives their siege against him at Xia Pi. Cao Cao, Sun Jian and Liu Bei try to stop him, but his forces prevail over all others. Lu Bu becomes the land's great unifier in the new time of peace. His Legend Mode in the Xtreme Legends expansion details his indomitable defense at Hu Lao Gate. After slaying many soldiers, Sun Jian and Cao Cao challenge him. Once they fall, the three oath brothers face him. When the trio are cut down, Yuan Shao declares that taking the gate is a lost cause and orders his army to retreat. Dynasty Warriors 5 has Lu Bu additionally defend Si Shui Gate. After the battle of Hu Lao Gate, he kills Dong Zhuo on Diao Chan's requests. His adopted father's followers disagreed with Lu Bu's actions and chased him out from the capital. Left with no land of his own, he briefly wanders into Yuan Shao's care and assists the battle against Gongsun Zan at Cheng Shan. Though his rival is defeated thanks to Lu Bu's efforts, Yuan Shao begins to fear Lu Bu and wants the warrior dead due to his past treachery. Liu Bei shelters him at Xia Pi, but he takes the lord to be a weak ruler. He steals the position away from his new benefactor and faces the army against him with his might. Alone and disappointed, he decides to ride off on Red Hare to search for a land worthy of him. Diao Chan and Zhang Liao loyally follow him. He shares his Legend Mode with them in the Xtreme Legends expansion, which details when he recruits Chen Gong. Lu Bu has already killed Dong Zhuo when his story starts in Dynasty Warriors 6. Driven from the capital, Chen Gong gives his lord an interesting alternative: make a new path for himself in the chaos and take the land. He gains a new base for his forces by forcing Liu Bei's forces away from Xia Pi. Though it has no business with him, he dives straight into the battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao at Guan Du, defeating both parties with his army. Hearing the petty ambitions of Liu Yao, Yan Baihu, Wang Lang and other individuals from Jiang Dong, he deals with them personally at Shi Ting. When Sun Quan join forces with Liu Bei to end Cao Cao at Chi Bi, Lu Bu is fascinated by the battle at sea and routing both leaders. The angered Dian Wei and Zhou Yu attempt to avenge their masters, uniting their talents to end Lu Bu. Upon their defeat, the armies from the battle are scattered and Lu Bu's army heads towards Mt. Ding Jun. Opposing them are the resurrected Dong Zhuo and Zhang Jiao, both who are spiteful towards Lu Bu. They escape from death a second time and unite with Lu Bu's previous opponents in an attempt to eradicate the warrior. Undeterred, he faces them at Hu Lao Gate. Slaying his entire opposition in the battle, he becomes the land's new ruler. The wars don't end, however, as several other forces march against him during his ending. Even so, Lu Bu is pleased to have ample opportunities to fight someone. In Chapter 2 for every kingdom in Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, Lu Bu can be seen above the weapon Dong Zhuo placed at Hu Lao Gate, Bi Xie. Similar to previous games, he will betray Dong Zhuo and start a campaign of his own to conquer the land. He is killed at Bai Men Tower but raises from his grave in Chapter 6, causing the three kingdoms to form another alliance to bring his reign of chaos to an end. Lu Bu's otherworldly strength corrupts the land's spiritual guardians, the kingdoms' respective animal avatars. The Allied Forces manage to seal them all and kill Lu Bu once more at Xia Pi Castle. During the second chapter of the Conqueror's Arc in Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid 2, Lu Bu rises from the dead once more to save Diao Chan from Xiang Yu's assault. Eager to face his new rival in a proper battle, he willingly joins forces with his former enemies to make this happen. Dynasty Warriors 7 has Lu Bu appear briefly in the three kingdoms' Story Modes. During Wei's Story Mode, he attempts to capture a fleeing Cao Cao through the capital yet fails due to Chen Gong's intervention. He acts as the beefy guard for Hu Lao Gate and kills Dong Zhuo after the conflict. Becoming a landless wanderer, he barges into the Battle of Xu Province to oppose Cao Cao. Lu Bu brazenly offers his arm to Liu Bei and is accepted into Liu Bei's custody. When his benefactor drops his guard, however, Lu Bu steals Xu Province for himself. To counter, Liu Bei joins forces with Cao Cao at Xia Pi. When the captured Lu Bu struggles against his bonds, he arrogantly offers his service to Cao Cao, thinking that his might is worthy enough for him to be spared. The warlord doesn't fall for the enticement and orders for Lu Bu's death. As Lu Bu is dragged away kicking and screaming, Liu Bei respectfully averts his eyes away from the sight. His first Legendary Mode lets players control him at Hu Lao Gate. A reenactment of Dong Zhuo's death occurs for his second Legendary Mode due to Diao Chan's influences. Lu Bu's third Legendary Mode lets him fight against Cao Cao and Liu Bei's coalition at Xia Pi. The Xtreme Legends expansion adds a Hero Scenario regarding his path of treachery after Dong Zhuo's death. This particular betrayal details his mutiny against Liu Bei during the latter's absence at Xia Pi. The invaders first antagonize the defenders' camps before heading north. Lu Bu and company then free an imprisoned Cao Bao to spread confusing rumors amongst the castle's guards. Once Zhang Fei is chased out of the castle, Lu Bu then faces an enraged Liu Bei and Guan Yu. Victory comes easily to the warrior, and he prides himself on his accomplishment. Of course, the feeling is short-lived when Cao Cao's army surrounds and captures the castle. When his own men turn traitor, Lu Bu loses his life. Warriors OrochiEdit In Warriors Orochi, Lu Bu becomes one of the Serpent King's top officers. Unlike other generals, little is indulged on how or when this occurs. He only serves Orochi out of respect of the demon's incredible power; he is biding his time until he is powerful enough to slay Orochi himself and claim the title of the strongest. Until then, Lu Bu serves the Orochi Army, realizing the most powerful warriors of both China and Japan will oppose the Serpent King. Aside from Orochi, he finds that the only ones strong enough to provide him with a challenge are Keiji and Tadakatsu. Lu Bu continues serving the remnants of Orochi's army in the sequel. Unimpressed by Kiyomori's methods, he rebels against him late in Wu's story with his band of loyal officers. After dealing with Kiyomori, he decides to prove himself as the greatest by taking on Orochi X. Sun Jian takes advantage of Lu Bu's momentum and uses it to end the serpent king. It is unknown what happened to Lu Bu after Orochi's death though Yoshitsune briefly spots Lu Bu riding his horse. He teams up with Tadakatsu and Keiji to end Orochi in their dream mode. While his teammates want to assist the mutual Liu Bei, Orochi's soldiers try to keep them trapped within the garrison. Lu Bu's personal goal in the stage is defeating several of them and frighten them to open the gates. After Orochi's second fall, Lu Bu was content to wander the land with Diaochan in Warriors Orochi 3's original timeline. By chance the couple happened to stumble upon the battle at Tong Gate. Although Lu Bu was confident that his strength would be enough to see them through, he is quickly beaten by Nezha. Pleading Diaochan to save herself, a wounded Lu Bu is forced to flee instead. Humiliated by the loss and angered by Diaochan's death, Lu Bu tracks the robotic warrior throughout the game's story to defeat him and redeem his honor. If Diaochan is saved by the coalition and present at Osaka Castle, her simple request is enough to gain Lu Bu's allegiance. To other members of the coalition, however, he insists that he is only with them for another chance to challenge Nezha. In one of the downloadable stages, Lu Bu's Revenge, he is given a chance to redeem himself by defeating Nezha. Dynasty TacticsEdit Lu Bu primarily acts as one of Liu Bei's early antagonists in Dynasty Tactics. He can either be exterminated quickly by Cao Cao and Liu Bei at Xia Pi or temporarily join forces with the latter. In the second scenario, the two lords form an alliance to end Yuan Shu. Soon after their victory, they are outmaneuvered by Cao Ren's army. Reinforcements miraculously come when Liu Biao aids them and their land is saved. During their victory banquet, however, Lu Bu kills their savior based on a loose report that he was a cohort with Cao Cao. Shocked by the violence, Liu Bei departs and declares war on him. When Lu Bu is defeated, his life is spared but he rebounds later to fulfill his desire for conquest. He is supposedly killed after his defeat. In one of Wu's scenarios, however, he can be recruited in the last chapter. Players can also fight his Dynasty Tactics counterpart in Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends, as he leads a heavily armed army and challenges anyone to defeat him at Chi Bi. Dynasty Tactics 2 portrays him as slightly less arrogant and also introduces his daughter, Lu Lingqi. He is one of the possible rulers in the game who can conquer the land. In one of his story branches, he learns from Cao Cao that his ally, Liu Bei, wishes to betray him and personally storms Liu Bei's castle to murder him. He seemingly dies from an archer volley in a charge against Cao Cao's troops. However, he survives and joins forces with the stunned Ma Chao to rebuild his ranks. With his new army, he eventually defeats Wei and perpetuates war in the land. KessenEdit During the prologue movie in Kessen II, Liu Bei and Cao Cao become allies to defeat forces under the Lu family name. While players are free to interpret the general's identity in the game, the official databook remarks that Liu Bei was fighting Lu Bu at the time historically. Character InformationEdit http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100210145645/dynastywarriors/images/f/f9/Lubu_DW6.jpgLu Bu's artwork in Dynasty Warriors 6.Added by Kyosei PersonalityEdit Lu Bu is typically depicted as extremely aggressive, brutish, and bloodthirsty warrior who fights for the sole purpose of finding an opponent worthy of challenge. He believes himself to be the "Mightiest Man Alive", and believes that the only true justice in the world is not found in any court, but when one fights for one's life on the battlefield, where the strong survive and the weak are crushed. More of a man of action than talk, he disregards strategy and politics as a waste of his time (which is just as well, since he has little talent at either one). Despite his repeated betrayals Lu Bu is bluntly honest and has little faith or respect in politicians, bureaucrats, or for any cowards who use deceit to gain power. For this same reason, Lu Bu despises sycophants and suck ups and resented being Dong Zhuo's lackey. Lu Bu considers Dong Zhuo an arrogant pig and a repulsive coward who is undeserving of his wealth and status, and only joined him because the pay was obscenely substantial. His hatred is further inflamed when Diaochan advises him to kill his benefactor. The closest thing he has to a friend in the series is Zhang Liao. He treats him with with more respect than his other soldiers in his army and has never berated him for any of his actions, even when Zhang Liao once insisted that he join Lu Bu in a battle when he wanted to fight alone. In the Warriors Orochi series, he shares special dialogue with Fu Xi, Orochi, Tadakatsu, Nobunaga, and Musashi. If Lu Bu has any weakness in the games, it's his often absentminded devotion for the women he loves. Diaochan is everything to him and he is always willing to do whatever she wants; he rarely suspects or accuses her of any sort of deception. Throughout Diaochan's campaign, his motive is to create a world where Diaochan can be happy and frequently worries about her getting hurt on the battlefield. He displays this same protectiveness towards his daughter in Dynasty Tactics 2. Character SymbolismEdit Lu Bu's name in Chinese is used to refer to an incoming thunder storm. His style name, Fengxian, when broken into separate characters means "Immortal Phoenix". His iconic weapon in Three Kingdoms media is the Fangtian Huaji, commonly translated as "Heavenly Halberd" or "Sky Piercer". It was a weapon used by Lu Bu within Romance of the Three Kingdoms and is represented as his third weapon in the Dynasty Warriors series. His Standard cross spears in Dynasty Warriors 6 are also named after his iconic weapon, in spite of it not resembling the common perception of the armament. Though many of the weapons in the novel date from the Song or Ming Dynasty, Lu Bu's weapon is thought to have not truly existed - though the Book of Tang claims an incident where a weapon like it was seen. A common postulation for his weapon's origins is the fatianji, a weapon of the Northern Song Dynasty that is a type of ji. Attached to one end of the weapon was a type of bladed tip shaped in the form of a crescent. Lu Bu's version reportedly improves the weapon's slashing and stabbing power by increasing the number of crescent blades or sharp edges. Its length, weight, and other characteristics are not clearly known, though the weapon is said to require great skill to master and wield. As a side note, the other famous user of the same polearm would be found in the Water Margin; within the tale, the character in question, Lu Fang, resembles and admires Lu Bu. In the Japanese version of Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires, Lu Bu is given the nickname of "Violence Hurricane" while the English version changes it to "The Avatar of Battle, the Ultimate Warrior". As a dominant ruler in Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires, he calls his five greatest warriors the "Five Lords of War". The original name to Lu Bu's Level 11 weapon and Strength weapon may be literally translated as "Demon God". It is thought these spectres are vengeful in nature, hardly a speck of mercy left within them. They are supernatural beings who look half man, half demonic or beast-like. There are many myths of these spirits, but a common element shared with them is that they died an unclean death and continue to haunt the mortal realm due to an improper burial. With the introduction of Buddhism, their nature morphed to instead be man-eating entities capable of monstrous power. Calling someone by this name isn't necessarily a compliment, but it is a fearful and weary type of recognition for the addressee's might. His fourth weapon may literally translate to "Peerless One Under Heaven", which has a character pattern and meaning similar to the four character idiom, "Guoshi Wushuang" (国士无双) or "Kokushi Musou" (国士無双). The phrase is used for a person of superior skill who has no equal or better throughout the land. Historically, these same words were uttered by Xiao He to his lord Liu Bang. Liu Bang was questioning Xiao He's judgment in granting him a single runaway, Han Xin, from thousands of other fleeing candidates. Xiao He responded by greatly commending Han Xin's talents and specifically used the phrase to emphasize the general's strengths. His lord was convinced and Han Xin was admitted into Liu Bang's services. "Flying General", Lu Bu's historical nickname, is the original name of his Skill weapon. The name has its origins trace back specifically to Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty. Li Guang was exceptional with archery and polearm weapons, striking fear into the Xiongnu tribes with his prowess. Since Lu Bu was said to have had shared the same formidable traits, Chen Shou wrote the nickname down for him. Whether he was feared in battle like Li Guang is hard to say, but Lu Bu did hold a reputation of being powerful. The nickname is also the original name for his personal item in Warriors Orochi, "Flying General's Armor". Lü Bu (died February 199)[[|1]][[|2]] was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General". His image as a handsome and mighty warrior wearing a pheasant-tailed headdress and wielding a ji known as the "Sky Piercer" (simplified Chinese: 方天画戟; traditional Chinese: 方天畫戟; pinyin: Fāngtiān Huàjǐ) on top of his steed Red Hare was later popularized by Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the story, he is considered the single most powerful warrior in all of China. Besides being matchless on the battlefield, especially in man-on-man duels, Lü Bu was also notorious for having betrayed and slain two separate lords who were both his adoptive fathers. He is best known for his amorous relationship with the fictional maiden Diaochan, which eventually caused him to betray and kill Dong Zhuo out of jealousy. Throughout Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu has been depicted as a ruthless and impulsive warrior who has no sense of loyalty and sympathy. Lü Bu was eventually defeated and captured by Cao Cao at the Battle of Xiapi. At Liu Bei's suggestion, Cao Cao had Lü Bu hanged. edit] Biography edit] Service under Ding Yuan Lü Bu was a local of Jiuyuan County, Wuyuan Commandery (a district of present-day Baotou, Inner Mongolia). He started his career as the Chief Secretary under the governor of Bing Province (并州), Ding Yuan. In 189, Ding Yuan led his troops into the capital city of Luoyang to assist General-in-Chief He Jin in eliminating the Ten Attendants (a group of influential eunuch officials in the imperial court). He Jin was assassinated and Luoyang plunged into chaos when He Jin's supporters and the eunuch faction clashed. edit] Service under Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo, a warlord from Liang Province who was summoned to Luoyang by He Jin, seized control of the armed forces of Luoyang and rose to power. Lü Bu betrayed and killed Ding Yuan, severed Ding's head and presented it to Dong Zhuo as a gesture of allegiance. Dong Zhuo also acknowledged Lü Bu as his foster son. To consolidate power, Dong Zhuo deposed Emperor Shao and replaced him with Emperor Xian, who was actually a puppet ruler under his control, and moved the capital city to Chang'an in the west. Dong Zhuo's evident intention of usurping state power, compounded by his tyranny and cruelty, angered many loyalists and placed him in a vulnerable position to political assassination. For his personal safety, Dong Zhuo relied heavily on Lü Bu, who was promoted to "General of the Household" (中郎將). Lü Bu would be at Dong Zhuo's side almost all the time as a personal bodyguard. In his frequent bouts of temper, Dong Zhuo would hurl a halberd at Lü Bu to vent his frustration. Lü Bu dodged the weapons easily and Dong Zhuo's fury subsided quickly. Nevertheless, Lü Bu bore a furtive displeasure towards his foster father for that. Moreover, as Lü Bu had access to Dong Zhuo's residence, he started an amorous affair with one of Dong's servant maids, and was constantly in fear of being discovered by his foster father. In 192, with encouragement from Interior Minister Wang Yun, Lü Bu decided to kill Dong Zhuo. He brought a dozen trusted men, including Cavalry Captain Li Su, to greet Dong Zhuo one morning at the palace gate. Li Su stabbed Dong Zhuo and Dong cried out for Lü Bu to save him. However, Lü Bu said, "This is an imperial order." and delivered a fatal blow to Dong Zhuo. edit] Roaming the land After Dong Zhuo's death, the central government, now controlled by Wang Yun, refused to grant amnesty to Dong's former followers. In fear, Dong Zhuo's remnants, led by Li Jue and Guo Si, attacked Chang'an. Within ten days, Chang'an fell to Li Jue and Guo Si, and Lü Bu was forced to flee after his defeat. State power fell into the hands of Dong Zhuo's followers once more. Lü Bu went to the warlord Yuan Shu and requested to join him, but Yuan refused to accept him as he was deterred by Lü's fickleness. Lü Bu then headed north to join Yuan Shao and he helped the latter defeat the bandit army led by Zhang Yan. As Lü Bu's force gradually grew in strength, Yuan Shao began to see him as a potential threat. Lü Bu was aware of that himself so he left Yuan Shao swiftly and avoided the assassins Yuan sent after him. In 194, when Cao Cao was away on a campaign against Tao Qian in Xu Province, his subordinates Zhang Miao and Chen Gong rebelled and allowed Lü Bu's forces to take over Yan Province. Gao Shun and Cheng Lian helped Lü Bu defeat and drive away Cao Cao's army. When Cao Cao heard that Yan Province had fallen into Lü Bu's hands, he turned back and besieged Lü Bu at Puyang. After more than 100 days of stalemate, a famine forced Lü Bu to abandon the city. [[]]EnlargeAnother Qing Dynasty illustration. This one shows Lü Bu battling Cao Cao. edit] Occupation of Xu Province After abandoning Puyang, Lü Bu headed for Xu Province to seek refuge under the new governor, Liu Bei. In 196, Lü Bu turned against Liu Bei and seized the city of Xiapi, effectively taking over governorship of Xu Province, forcing Liu Bei to move to the nearby town of Xiaopei (小沛; present-day Pei County, Anhui). In the same year, Yuan Shu sent an army led by Ji Ling to attack Liu Bei. As Lü Bu feared that the loss of Xiaopei would expose him to attack from Yuan Shu, he led his men to lay camp south of Xiaopei, where he sent invitations for Liu Bei and Ji Ling to meet him. Lü Bu urged both sides to make peace and extracted promises from them to withdraw their troops if he could hit the sharp tongue of a halberd, erected at the gate, with an arrow. From afar, Lü Bu fired an arrow and it came squarely on its target. Both Liu Bei and Ji Ling kept their promises and retreated. To counter Cao Cao's rising power, Yuan Shu offered to form an alliance with Lü Bu. Lü Bu agreed initially but regretted afterwards. He sent his men to retrieve his daughter, who was on her way to be married to Yuan Shu's son. Lü Bu also imprisoned Yuan Shu's envoy and sent the captive to Cao Cao as a token of friendship. edit] Downfall and death In 198, Lü Bu switched his allegiance to Yuan Shu again and attacked Liu Bei at Xiaopei. Liu Bei went to join Cao Cao and the latter led his army to attack Xu Province. After three months of siege and many consecutive defeats, Lü Bu's subjects were low in morale and some of them defected to Cao Cao's side. Lü Bu had no choice but to surrender eventually. In some accounts, Lü Bu was betrayed by his subordinates, who tied him up while he was asleep, and presented him to Cao Cao. Lü Bu was bound and brought before Cao Cao, to whom he pledged his service. When Liu Bei reminded Cao Cao about the fate of Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao condemned Lü Bu to death by hanging. edit] In fiction Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a dramatization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms era. It portrayed Lü Bu as an invincible warrior but an incapable leader who is further marred by character flaws. While adhering to factual history in the general course of events, Luo Guanzhong exaggerated or sentimentalised many stories about Lü Bu, drawing inspirations from folklore and traditional operas. The following are some of the stories of Lü Bu in the novel that differ from historical accounts: edit] Defection to Dong Zhuo Lü Bu first appeared in chapter 3 as the foster son of Ding Yuan. When Dong Zhuo proposed to depose Emperor Shao, Ding Yuan opposed Dong Zhuo's decision and denounced him as a traitor. Dong Zhuo wanted to kill Ding Yuan for the refute but refrained when Lü Bu stood forward to defend his foster father. Li Su, one of Dong Zhuo's followers who came from the same hometown as Lü Bu, volunteered to persuade Lü to defect over. Li Su went to see Lü Bu, bringing with him the Red Hare, a thousand taels of gold, dozens of pearls and a jade belt. Li Su succeeded in persuading Lü Bu to defect, as Lü was moved by Dong Zhuo's gifts and he felt that following Ding Yuan would not brighten his future. That night, Lü Bu murdered and decapitated Ding Yuan, bringing the head to see Dong Zhuo the next morning. Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and accepted Lü Bu as his foster son, appointing him as a high-ranking military officer and showering him with gifts. Lü Bu served as Dong Zhuo's personal bodyguard from then on. edit] Battle with the three heroes at Hulao Pass Dong Zhuo's tyranny and cruelty incurred the anger of many people, so in 190, several regional governors and warlords formed a coalition army under Yuan Shao's leadership to attack him. The coalition forces were victorious in the early battles until they reached Hulao Pass, 50 Li away from the capital Luoyang. Lü Bu came forth to challenge the coalition army, riding on his Red Hare, clad in the finest silver armour and donning a pheasant-tail headdress. Generals from the coalition, Fang Yue and Mu Shun, were slain by Lü Bu in one-on-one duels, while Wu Anguo's wrist was cut off and had to retreat. The warlord Gongsun Zan fought with Lü Bu personally but was no match for him and had to retreat as well. Just then, Zhang Fei appeared, insulting Lü Bu as "a bastard slave with three family names (since he had his own name and had two adoptive fathers)". Zhang Fei struggled against Lü Bu for more than 50 rounds but neither side was able to win. Before long, Guan Yu and Liu Bei joined in the fight consecutively, but Lü Bu still managed to hold on. Eventually, as he grew weary, Lü Bu fought his way out and retreated back to the pass. edit] Killing Dong Zhuo After Lü Bu's retreat, Dong Zhuo abandoned Luoyang and moved the capital city to Chang'an in the west. Interior Minister Wang Yun devised a plot to sow discord between Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo, intending to make use of Lü Bu to kill the tyrant. Wang Yun invited Lü Bu to his residence for a banquet one evening and captured Lü's attention with his servant girl Diaochan. Lü Bu was entranced by Diaochan's beauty and was overjoyed when Wang Yun promised to let her marry him. A few days later, Wang Yun repeated the scenario, this time with Dong Zhuo as the guest in his house. Wang Yun allowed Dong Zhuo to bring Diaochan home and she became Dong's concubine. The angry Lü Bu confronted Wang Yun later and accused Wang of breaking his promise. Wang Yun feigned ignorance and lied to Lü Bu that Dong Zhuo had brought Diaochan home so he could see his prospective daughter-in-law before her marriage. Lü Bu's anger subsided after hearing that and he apologized to Wang Yun before leaving. The next morning, Lü Bu headed to Dong Zhuo's bedroom and saw Diaochan looking at him, with a sorrowful expression on her face. When Dong Zhuo fell ill, Lü Bu used the opportunity to see Diaochan under the pretext of visiting his foster father. When Dong Zhuo caught Lü Bu staring at his concubine, he was furious and forbid Lü from entering his inner rooms from then on. One day, when Dong Zhuo was out, Lü Bu sneaked into his house to see Diaochan. At Fengyi Pavilion, Diaochan lied to Lü Bu that she was no longer a virgin and felt ashamed to see Lü. She attempted suicide but Lü Bu stopped her. Lü Bu was moved and believed that Dong Zhuo had taken Diaochan, rightfully his, from him by force. Just then, Dong Zhuo returned and saw the pair locked in a tight embrace. He was furious and chased after Lü Bu, who fled, with a halberd in hand. Dong Zhuo hurled the weapon at Lü Bu, who dodged it narrowly and escaped. Dong Zhuo returned to Diaochan and chided her for infidelity, but Diaochan replied indignantly that it was Lü Bu who embraced her against her consent. She attempted suicide once more to prove her loyalty to Dong Zhuo, who was moved and he trusted her. After that incident, Lü Bu became increasingly displeased with Dong Zhuo, although Dong attempted to "patch-up" by sending him gifts. Wang Yun seized the opportunity to instigate Lü Bu into killing Dong Zhuo, by warning Lü that he would be remembered in history as a traitor and corrupt general for serving a villain like Dong Zhuo. When Lü Bu claimed that he could not bear to betray two adoptive fathers, Wang Yun replied, "Dong Zhuo's surname is Dong, while yours is Lü. Did he consider you as his son when he threw that halberd at you?". Lü Bu eventually made up his decision to kill Dong Zhuo. Wang Yun sent Li Su to fetch Dong Zhuo to the palace, claiming that the emperor had decided to abdicate and pass the throne to Dong. Dong Zhuo was ambushed by Wang Yun's men at the palace gate and he cried out for Lü Bu to save him. Lü Bu appeared and said coldly, "I've an imperial order to kill the traitor Dong Zhuo.", before delivering a fatal blow. edit] Downfall In 198, Cao Cao and Liu Bei formed a temporary alliance against Lü Bu and attacked him in the Battle of Xiapi. Lü Bu's forces were besieged inside the city for two months. Cao Cao's advisors Xun Yu and Guo Jia then suggested to their lord to flood Xiapi by directing water from the Yi and Si rivers. Lü Bu's advisor Chen Gong suggested that he should lead a group of soldiers outside the city gate before the water level is too high, and to cut down Cao Cao's food supply. While Chen Gong himself will lead another group to a different direction. Both groups will then coordinate a two-pronged attack on Cao Cao's army and should be sufficient to force him to retreat. However, Lü Bu's wife, Lady Yan, complained that he hardly spent time with his family and persuaded him to stay in the city and defend it until Cao Cao's forces retreat. As the city gates were flooded, Lü Bu's men rushed to inform him but Lü dismissed the warning, thinking that his Red Hare would help him escape. Lü Bu was heavily indulging in alcohol and women at that time, but one day he decided to abstain from wine after seeing his own reflection in the mirror. He issued an order banning his men from consuming alcohol. One day, Hou Cheng, one of Lü Bu's generals, caught a defector attempting to steal 50 horses. He prepared some wine to celebrate his achievement with his colleagues and presented five bottles to Lü Bu. Lü Bu was enraged when he saw that Hou Cheng defied his order and had Hou flogged. The unhappy Hou Cheng then plotted with Song Xian and Wei Xu to defect over to Cao Cao. At night, Hou Cheng stole Lü Bu's Red Hare and fled from the city towards Cao Cao's camp. The next morning, Cao Cao's troops launched a fierce attack on the city, forcing Lü Bu to participate in the defense personally. The battle dragged on until late noon and the exhausted Lü Bu took a nap. Song Xian and Wei Xu took the opportunity to tie Lü Bu up and they hoisted a white flag and threw Lü Bu's weapon down the city wall. With help from the defectors, Cao Cao's army broke into the city and captured it swiftly. Lü Bu was bound and brought before Cao Cao at White Gate Tower. He pledged his service to Cao and the latter, who had a penchant for recruiting talents, was almost swayed by Lü Bu's words. Just then, Liu Bei reminded Cao Cao of the fates of Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao changed his decision. Lü Bu stamped his foot in anger and hurled abuse at Liu Bei. Cao Cao then ordered for Lü Bu to be executed by hanging and xiaoshou (梟首; the corpse to be decapitated and the head put on display). edit] Family The family members of Lü Bu mentioned in this section are based on the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. *Foster fathers: **Ding Yuan, murdered by Lü Bu **Dong Zhuo, murdered by Lü Bu in their dispute over Diaochan *Spouses: **Lady Yan, Lü Bu's first wife, bore him a daughter **Lady Cao (曹氏), Lü Bu's second wife, daughter of Cao Bao, died early, did not bear Lü Bu any children **Diaochan, Lü Bu's concubine, never bore him any children either *Children: **Daughter, unknown name (known as Lü Lingqi in Koei's video games), arranged to be married to Yuan Shu's son edit] Appointments and titles held *Commandant of Cavalry (騎都尉) *General of the Household (中郎將) *General Who Inspires Might (奮威將軍) *Marquis of Wen (溫侯) Category:Characters